NEIL: LIKE A PREACHER, CAUTIOUS
IN CONDEMNATION THERE.
BUT I TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE
AND I CAN'T HELP BUT THINKING HE
SEES HIMSELF AND MAYBE REGRETS
DOESN'T GET THE RESPECT, HE
DOESN'T -- IT DOESN'T MATTER TO
HIM THE MULTIMILLION DOLLAR
DEALS EVEN THOUGH HE HAS WRITTEN
LIKE 3 DOZEN AND HAS TO STICK IN
THINGS HE'S PLEASED WITH MY BOOK
ALTHOUGH IS THAT IT'S A POSITIVE
REASSESSMENT ABOUT ALL OF THE
INFLATION SUCH AS ENERGY
SECURITY, THE ENVIRONMENT,
ETHICS LAWS, OPENING TO CHINA,
STAND TOWARD COF YET UNION AND
AFGHANISTAN AND I THINK HIS
THOSE, I DON'T WHITEWASH THEM AS
HE MADE AND I THINK THAT DOES
STICK IN HIS CRAWL BUT I HOPE MY
BOOK WILL CAUSE REASSESSMENT OF
PRESIDENCY NOT JUST THE FACT
HE'S ADMIRED FORMER PRESIDENT
BUT HE DID IMPORTANT THINGS, I
THINK, BECOMING THE MOST
ACCOMPLISHED ONE-TERM PRESIDENT,
THESE VERY REAL PROBLEMS.
I THINK HE'S NOW SEEING THE FACT
THAT HOPEFULLY THROUGH MY BOOK
AND -- AND OTHER COMMENTARIES
THAT THE POSITIVE PARTS OF HIS
ADMINISTRATION ARE COMING
THROUGH INCLUDING THE ETHICS
RESPECTFUL IN THE FEDERAL
RESERVE'S INDEPENDENCE, EVEN
WHEN THEY HURT AND I'M GLAD YOU
HAVE GIVEN HIM THE OPPORTUNITY
AND GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO
TALK ABOUT THEM.
NEIL: HOW DO YOU WORK FOR BOTH
DID YOU LIKE MORE BUT WHO
IMPRESSED YOU MORE?
>> WELL, I THINK -- LET'S TAKE
TRUMP, CLINTON AND CARTER.
I ALSO WORKED WITH PRESIDENT
JOHNSON.
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS AN
DOES THAT, PRESIDENT CARTER HAD
THE PROBLEM THAT HE WAS TOO
LIBERAL FOR HIS CONSERVATIVE
SOUTHERN WHITE BASE AND TOO
CONSERVATIVE FOR HIS LIBERAL
INTEREST GROUP RACE IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY SO IT FELL IN
>> COST HIM WITH TED KENNEDY.
>> NOW, WITH RESPECT TO BILL
CLINTON, BILL CLINTON IS A
MASTER POLITICIAN, PRESIDENT
CARTER HAD -- IN A SENSE OBAMA
DID, SORT OF INTELLECTUAL VIEW
OF THE PRESIDENCY, DOING THE
RIGHT THING REGARDLESS OF THE
POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES, HE
ALWAYS SAID TO US, DON'T TELL ME
THE POLITICS, I'M GOING TO DO
THE RIGHT THING FROM MY
VIEWPOINT AND LET THE POLITICS
FALL WHERE THEY MAY.
WELL, THE PRESIDENT IS THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF BUT HE'S ALSO
THE POLITICIAN IN CHIEF AND
THAT'S WHAT BILL CLINTON
UNDERSTOOD, BILL CLINTON
NURTURED HIS COALITION, HE LOVED
JIMMY CARTER HAD A DIFFERENT
THE RIGHT THING AND HOPEFULLY
YOU WILL GET REWARDED.
FEELS, IT IS YOU'RE A POLITICIAN
EVERY DAY, EVERY MINUTE, YOU
HAVE TO NURTURE THAT BASE.
NEIL: YEAH.
>> I THINK THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE
BUT HAD WE HAD A BETTER ECONOMY,
HAD WE NOT HAD HOSTAGE CRISIS,
JIMMY CARTER'S APPROACH WOULD
HAVE SUCCEEDED.
HE DID GET 70% OF HIS
LEGISLATION DONE AND HE DID HAVE
HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ABROAD AND
AT HOME.
NEIL: YOU SPELLED IT OUT ON
BLACK AND WIDE, THE GOOD, THE